BOOIntroduction-MaggieExplainsQuestProphecy

I, Marguerite Heatherwick, Guardian of Wyldewood, Guardian of the five elements, relate to you seeker of the truth, this tale that began our quest. . .

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Millennium ago, the Gods of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit created a world of harmony and beauty that has withstood since time beginning. The lesser gods of the Void, Intuition, Strength, Sight, Minerals, and Magic aided them.

Our beautiful world of Praelan.

Four hundred years an event occurred that would change the course of our world. A collision, of not just this world but all the worlds within this realm. A collision with another realm, or if the scientific minds amongst us want to be specific, galaxies.

They created a battle between dark and light.

Praelan is one of many worlds set within a galaxy, the astronomers of the University City of Carpathia make a point of studying the stars in an attempt to foresee the future and study the beginnings of our world. They suspect we are not the sole living inhabitants in our universe. They are of course correct.

But to continue, this collision (an error on the parts of our gods? Or for scientific reasons, it does not matter) caught within its vortex of frisson, a small world called Praelan. Aside from the usual earthquakes, floods, typhoons, droughts and subsequent plagues and famine, there also occurred a frissioning of the God Powers. Enough to set the gods to wrangling and ensure a battle between the powers of light and dark; a fracturing of the five elements the loss of the minor deities and their power sources.

Four hundred years ago, The Gods discovered they were not all-powerful and needless to say the foundations of their belief was shaken. Some went mad; some receded, faded in despair. There became a schism, the aspects of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit split into the dark and light you see now.

The Book of One. I look down at the thick leather binding of the Book before me. Its sigils and protections glowing beneath my hand.

This book was created when the world was made. It is a manifestation of the light. All the goodness in the world; Life, love, joy and happiness.

The Book of One was to hold the balance of darkness and light, or at least the essence that creates the book, when the collision happened and the gods literally went mad, it was given to this essence to create the book. And here it is.

What you may not know however is that there exists within this world another book….

The Book of Chaos. An essence completely opposed to our own beloved and polite Book of One. The absence of all that IS good.. A ruling of darkness that will bring to its bidding all the horrors and nightmares of our world. This darkness was created at the fracturing. It is the essence of all that went wrong, all that is mad, all that is dark, a manifestation of the darkness that grew within our gods and the universe.

The darkness within man and animal as a race and within our own inner selves, our fears and prejudices. This darkness will be aiding our enemies.. the book is kept within the hands of the Ashanti Order.

Yes. The Companions most certainly have enemies. Fierce, powerful and ruthless. You are gathered here seeker, to thwart them. The more grief, anger, fear, suspicion and hate in the world, the more powerful the Book of Chaos becomes and the Book of Light fades. All beings on this earth are related and connected.

With the corruption of the land and its people, the Dark Book grows ever more powerful.

The Book of One is threatened, and we are gathered to help prevent such a catastrophe, for once the dark takes hold and conquers the Light then all is lost.

Why us? a voice interrupts, We are hardly saints or superheros.

No companions. You are not, but you all have within you a capacity for love and sacrifice that can change this world, each of you a culmination of your lands, the spirit within them;

The Sword will hold the honour and swift merciless justice of Terasi.

The Archer will hold the power of healing and love of Wyldewood, green growing things and the strength of the earth. Enough to heal the world.

The Dagger of Justice contains a thirst and quest for justice and what is right, the betterment of our race, though you resist. The Honour and fierce pride of the grasslands along with its loneliness

The Water Bearer, holder of the strength and magic of water, the essence of Kantara and its ability to heal and wash away all wounds, to comfort and love, bend and not break."

The Trickster, the ability to see falsehood, to watch, to advise and to become one with the elements and see through all tricks." I look down at the spot where her hand had penetrated. As wily and deceptive as the Krakkine Mountains

The Rapier; the lover, the light of fun, playfulness and honour. What world would this be without humour and wit? He holds the cosmopolitan and sophistication of Mezria

The Horselord, a most noble representation of all non human races, yes not just your tribal herd but all animals within Praelan, the hope of them all, their salvation to live in their forests, their burrows, their dens." I smile at the widening eyes and flickering ears of the horse.

The Seeker, of justice and truth, a seer tuned to the deeper aspects of self. Distilled from the wildness that is Wyldewood and an ancestry as rich as it is ancient.

The Thief, the slyness, the good heartedness and the ears of the prophecy. The holder of the necessary darker aspects, though not necessarily evil, the skepticism if you like to label it.. that makes us study what we are told and seek what lies beneath. The redemption of what can be dark into the light. The darker places beneath the mountains.

Magic’s Healer, holder of one of the greatest gifts, the healer of magic, the righting of wrongs. The essence of Magic. The Knowledge of Carpathia

The Innocent One, the young within us, youth with the burgeoning of adulthood. A threshold from which we step, and a path into a future that is to come.

The Twilight Messenger, a neutral balance, neither light nor dark, but one who will choose and perhaps tip the balance and be a fulcrum for Praelen.

You have all been chosen for tasks to aid us and bring back the light and banish the darkness. Grand words I admit, but not all that hard when each of you have only an aspect. What tasks I cannot know, that will be revealed when the time is right by you yourselves.

However the prophecy within this book tells of the gathering of companions whom together will fight back the darkness. The agents of which are to be revealed yet some have been uncovered,

The High Priestess, wielder of magic and the instructor of darkness

The Bane, The antithesis of Light, the Harbinger of Darkness.

The Sea Lord, The Tides of Chaos

The Fallen One, The Harbringer of Fury..

Each one of you questers will have to overcome your own personal demons and fears. Your own inner darkness in order to achieve our goal and realise your own potential.

This must be achieved if we are to be successful.

There are icons within the world; icons created reflecting the major five elements and their lesser aides;

Earth - The Bowl of the Earth – To be wielded by the Healer. The growing things of Wyldewood.

Fire - The Flame of Truth – Wielded by the Sword. The dryness and fire of Torgaine.

Water - The Orb of Cleansing – To be wielded by the Water Bearer, beneath the Tides of Kantara.

Air - Espiritos Drenada, The Staff of Light – A light beneath the mountains. Wielded by the thief

Spirit - The Sword of Spirit. – Wielded by the Dagger of Justice. A heirloom to seek the decision of the fierce and demanding grasslands.

Minerals - Petra. The Stone of Destiny. A gift to the Trickster, though she knows it not.
Void – The Orb of Night – wielded by that of love, the power to pierce the emptiness. Who else but the rapier, whom encompasses both the cold and warmth of emotion?

Intuition – the Helmet of the Wise, - wielded to him whom is lord among many species. And a deep wisdom that lies beneath.

Strength – The Armour of Might. - The Young, but the strongest, one capable of many things and hidden talents. The Innocent one wields this strength as the Young do.

Sight – The Mirror of Seeing, kept hidden within the Deserts of Torgaine, beneath the watchful eye of one whom serves the Dark. The Glass of seeing, dug deep from the bowls of an ancient lake.
Magic – The Wand of Power, to be wielded by the Healer of Magic, encompassing the elements of magic, but within the surface of its slender spire, containing all the powers and balance of the elements.

Any one of you can wield them, it has not been given to me to know who will do so. If you are the right one then so be it. Those who have not an icon to wield are required to aid those wielders, only together can our purpose be achieved. This quest for these icons will take us through all the known lands and some we don't know.

The Archer, The Dagger of Justice, The Guardian, The Sword, The Water Bearer, The Trickster, The Rapier, The HorseLord, The Seeker, The Thief and Magic's Healer, the Innocent One and the Twilight Messenger.

All of you are gathered to begin this quest.

Marguerite Heatherwick
Guardian of Wyldewood